🔗 Share this article

This daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

The rescue organizer, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a recent media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the flight.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left Venezuela, where she had been in hiding for over a year fearing persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Extraction

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to board a flight, in a mission planned just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Describing her condition, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his team.

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge details about the ground segment, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Financing and American Involvement

He told media the mission was financed by “several benefactors” – with no US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.